Does transcranial direct current stimulation affect selective visual attention in children with left-sided infantile hemiplegia? A randomized, controlled pilot study

Abstract

Objective: Infantile hemiplegia due to brain injury is associated with poor attention span, which critically affects the learning and acquisition of new skills, especially among children with left-sided infantile hemiplegia (LSIH). This study aimed to improve the selective visual attention (SVA) of children with LSIH through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Methods: A total of 15 children participated in this randomized, double-blinded, pilot study; of them, 10 experienced LSIH, and the remaining 5 were healthy age-matched controls. All the children performed the Computerized Stroop Color-Word Test (CSCWT) at baseline, during the 5th and 10th treatment sessions, and at follow-up. The experimental (n = 5) and control groups (n = 5) received tDCS, while the sham group (n = 5) received placebo tDCS. All three groups received cognitive training on alternate days, for 3 weeks, with the aim to improve SVA. Results: Two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a statistically significant change in the mean scores of CSCWT between time points (baseline, 5th and 10th sessions, and follow-up) within-subject factor, group (experimental, sham) between-subject factor and interaction (time points X group) (p < 0.005). Furthermore, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA showed significant differences between time point (p < 0.005) for the experimental and control group but not the sham group. Conclusion: These pilot results suggest that future research should be conducted with adequate samples to enable conclusions to be drawn.

Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Augmented with Motor Imagery and Upper-Limb Functional Training for Upper-Limb Stroke Rehabilitation: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

“…A study conducted among ten children with infantile stroke reported improvements in selective attention span after ten sessions of tDCS coupled with attention-improving activities. Furthermore, the authors reported that an intensity of 1.5 mA was safe for children with infantile stroke [ 63 ]. tDCS therapy modulates the cerebral cortex through two main cellular changes: the online mechanism, and the offline mechanism.…”

Effect of sensory integration on gait for children with mild hemiplegic cerebral palsy

“…Movements should be performed in different positions to identify the four body centerline. The centerline of BAT leads to improved balance, postural control, coordination, and free respiration (27,28). Visual-motor integration or Visual-motor coordination (VMC) is the synchronization of visual perceptual skills and fine motor control requires accurate, efficient contact between the hand and the eye movements.…”

Effects of neurofeedback training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation on motor imagery: A randomized controlled trial

“…These neural effects affect exercise performance, motor learning (Reis and Fritsch, 2011;Buch et al, 2017), and cognitive function (Pope et al, 2015;Imburgio and Orr, 2018). In addition, tDCS alters various symptoms, including attention function in children with paralysis (Alharbi et al, 2021), mental status in patients with depression (Palm et al, 2016), and pain intensity in patients with chronic pain (Pacheco-Barrios et al, 2020). tDCS has also been used to treat neurological diseases because it modulates neuroplasticity (Di Pino et al, 2014).…”